Do You Have A Front Row Culture?

If your team or your staff went into a theatre, how would they fill the seats?

Would they walk in slowly, hesitating to take the seats, preferring the seats at the aisles to easily escape when it becomes unpleasant? Would they leave the front rows empty and stay at the back? Would they stay silent when the show begins and only provide moderate applause at the end? 

Or would your people rush into the room, trying to grab the seats in the front rows, chatting with each other, making jokes, impatiently waiting for the show to begin, releasing their excitement with a roaring applause? 

You guessed it. This scenario is a metaphor for two extremes of your team or corporate culture. And it really works if you imagine your team being in the described situation in the theatre.

Are you a front row or a back row team?

Honestly! Which one is more fun to work with? Which one would more easily take on new challenges? 

Most teams I see are back row teams.

Here is what you can do to make your people eager to take the front rows (metaphorically speaking) and, consequently, raise their performance levels: 

1. Make it a priority for yourself.
   To my repeated surprise, many leaders would rather take the back rows than be exposed in the front. Let me ask you: What can you expect from your team if you do not demonstrate enthusiasm beyond the norm?
2. Make it safe for your people.
   More than half of people’s behaviour is triggered by uncertainty. They simply do not take the front rows, because they feel unsafe. Make it safe by convincing people upfront to function as leaders, who take the first rows and take other people with them.
3. Make the show worth seeing from the front rows.
   Often, hesitation is based on bad experiences. You can turn this around: Make your next show (meeting, presentation, email, whatever) exciting and worth watching closely. Repeat this at least 5 times before you can expect any change in your people’s behaviour.

Next steps:

When you're ready, check out my ➔ coaching programs and set up ➔ a 15min appointment here to get to know each other.